Everton reportedly proposed a swap deal to sign Sean Longstaff, with Tom Davies on offer, only for the deal to not come to fruition.
According to a report by The Athletic, Everton were so desperate to sign Sean Longstaff in the summer transfer window that they even offered a swap deal to prise him away from Newcastle United. Tom Davies was on offer for the Magpies, who did not take Everton up on it.
Sean Longstaff has been with Newcastle United since joining the club as an academy prospect several years ago. After progressing through the ranks at the Tyneside club in addition to spending around 18 months away from St. James’ Park on loan over two different spells, the English midfielder finally got his big break in the 2018/19 season.
To date, Longstaff has made 73 appearances for the Magpies while chipping in with four goals and as many assists along the way. However, heading into the summer transfer window, it started becoming clear that the 23-year-old was not a part of Steve Bruce’s plans. This piqued the interest of Everton, who were keen on signing him.
The interest from Everton made sense as Andre Gomes was not fancied too much by Rafael Benitez in the pre-season. The Portuguese midfielder was subsequently linked with a potential summer exit from Goodison Park before he ended up staying put at the club, although a switch to Turkey or Russia could still materialise.
In addition, Tom Davies and Fabian Delph are peripheral figures for the Toffees, leaving Abdoulaye Doucoure and Allan as the only regulars for them. As a result, Longstaff was a viable target for Everton, who failed to move around the pieces to make room for the English midfielder.
There were suggestions that Newcastle were demanding around £10 million for the youngster, although The Athletic suggest that Everton proposed a swap deal involving Davies. Such a transfer could have worked in favour of all the parties involved.
However, as fate would have it, a swap deal could not materialise, with Longstaff staying put at St. James’ Park while Davies remains an Everton player. What now remains to be seen is if the two players can make an impact at their respective clubs in the 2021/22 season, thereby proving their respective managers wrong.
